Transcript Slide 1

Bridging the Gap with
2004 National LMI Forum
Vancouver, British Columbia
May 2004
What are they?
• Foundational skills used by every worker
in every job
• “Velcro” skills to which other training
sticks
• Transferable skills – from job to job and
from work to home
DM Palmer, 2004 LMI Forum
9 and more
Reading Text
Thinking Skills
Document Use
Problem solving
Writing
Decision Making
Numeracy
Critical Thinking
Oral Communication
Job Task Planning
Working with Others
and Organizing
Computer Use
Significant Use of Memory
Continuous Learning
Finding Information
DM Palmer, 2004 LMI Forum
What makes them special?
• Essential Skills profile
• Captures the essence of the job from the
Canadian worker’s perspective
• Provides task examples
• Indicates relative difficulty of each task
(Level 1 – low, Level 5 – high)
• Rooted in the National Occupation
Classification system
DM Palmer, 2004 LMI Forum
Example
NOC 0112, 1121, 1122
(Human Resources Professionals)
Problem Solving
encounter conflict between union and
management personnel concerning labour
relations issues. They mediate the dispute to
bring about a resolution and to promote a
harmonious workplace. The resolution may be
subject to a third-party review. (4)
DM Palmer, 2004 LMI Forum
Where do you find this
information?
www15.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca
DM Palmer, 2004 LMI Forum
Where did they come from?
• National Occupational Classification
• National Occupational Skills and
Standards
• Conference Board of Canada
• International Adult Literacy Survey
• Canadian Language Benchmarks
• Listening to Canadian workers
• Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey
DM Palmer, 2004 LMI Forum
What we know
• Needed skills do not differ across
occupations
• Level of complexity does differ across
occupations
• More than 40% of Canadian working-age
adults have low Essential Skill levels
(Level 1 and 2)
• Most entry level jobs (no post-secondary
education) require Level 3 skills
DM Palmer, 2004 LMI Forum
What we know
• Canada’s skill shortage is not in technical
skills but in Essential Skills
• Essential Skills can be a better predictor
of individual employment outcomes than
formal educational credentials
• Essential Skills – the common language
• Essential Skills – a consistent structure
for assessing and improving skills
needed in Canadian occupations
DM Palmer, 2004 LMI Forum
What are the uses?
• Identification of skills for occupations
• Prior Learning Assessment and
Recognition (PLAR)
• Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR)
• Development of learning materials
• Employee training programs
• Pre-employment programs
DM Palmer, 2004 LMI Forum
Examples
• Canadian Trucking Human Resources
Council
• NAIT
• Diavik Diamond Mine
DM Palmer, 2004 LMI Forum
The challenge
• Demographic change
Increases the need for Essential Skills
training for workers with few educational
credentials
• Technological innovation
Increases the Essential Skill requirements
in many sectors
• International competition
Highlights the need to increase the
Canadian skills advantage
DM Palmer, 2004 LMI Forum
The bridge
• Current and projected labour market
demand
• Who is available to fill the demand
• Skill level needed/available
• Ensuring best match
• Ensuring Return on Investment
DM Palmer, 2004 LMI Forum
Statistics Canada
• Skill level of average worker explains a
significant proportion of growth
differentials in OECD countries since
1960
• Average skill matters more than % at
high skill levels
• Increased Essential Skills capacity leads
to higher earnings, stronger labour force
attachment and better health among
individuals
DM Palmer, 2004 LMI Forum
One Solution
LMI + ES = GDP
DM Palmer, 2004 LMI Forum
HRSDC
• Dr. Dave Thornton
Director – Skills Information Division
Outreach
Synergy
Applications
Research
DM Palmer, 2004 LMI Forum
Contact Information
Donna M. Palmer, PhD
The Essential Skills Group Inc.
PO Box 38640
126 West Third Street
North Vancouver, BC V7M 3N1
Telephone: 604. 813.4448
E-mail: [email protected]
DM Palmer, 2004 LMI Forum